Manually-operated mine-door.



Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI N. K. BOWMAN.

MANUALLY OPERATED MINE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1914. 1,155,703.

N. K. BOWMAN.

MANUALLY OPERATED MINE DOOR.

' APPLICATION FILED lune 23. 1914.

1,155,703. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

DLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

:m mama NEWTON K BOWIVIAN, OF NORTH LAWRENCE, OHIO.

MANUALLY-OPEBATED MINE-DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 5, 1915.

Application filed June 23, 1914. Serial No. 846,828.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NEWTON K. BOWMAN, citizenof the United States, residing at North Lawrence, in the county of Starkand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inManually-Operated Mine-Doors, of which the following is a specification.My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mine doors orbarriers and has particular reference to an improved construction indoors of the type adapted especially for use in connection with manways.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a door which isequipped with sealing strips adapting the door for service as aneffectual air barrier and is provided with an operating mechanism soconstructed that putters or other pedestrians using the manway may openand close the door, either by hand or foot pressure.

A further object of my present invention is to fashion the" sealingstrips of canvas or some similar durable fabric and to so an range themthat the air current in the manway will constitute the force normallytending to hold the strips in sealing relation to the door and itsframe.

A yet further object is to improve the gen eral construction of the doorso that it will embody the essential features of simplicity, durabilityand efliciency and may be readily and conveniently set up for operationwith a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

The above and other incidental. objects of a similar nature which willbe hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by suchmeansas are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in thefol lowing specification and then more particularly pointed out in theclaims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated thepreferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts. Figure 1 is a perspective view showingthe improved door in operative assembled relation to the mine car track,the major and minor doors being both shown in closed position: Fig. 2 isa horizontal section taken medially of the door and its frame. In thisfigure there is indicated, by dot and dash lines, a connect-- ing bar bywhich the major and minor sections of the door are so connected that theair pressure which would normally, due to the peculiar mounting of thedoor sections, tend to open the one and close the other, is so balancedthat the doors are normally maintained in closed position; Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of this connecting bar; Fig. i is a detailperspective view of the improved mounting which I employ in properlyattaching the door operating lever to a cross sill; Fig. 5 is a sectiontaken vertically through the minor door and the upper horizontal beam ofthe door frame or casing, illustrating, in detail, the manner in whichthe air sealing strip is arranged to normally prevent the passage of airthrough the door; Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken through the majordoor and upper horizontal beam of the door frame, illustratingparticularly, the manner in which the sealing strip of the major door isso arranged that the current of air through the manway normallymaintains the strip in sealing engagement against the major door.

Broadly, the door as illustrated in the embodiment shown in theaccompanying d awings, includes as its essential features ofconstruction a major and a minor door section, designated, respectively,by the letters A and B, a frame or casing C, in which the members A. andB are hinged, and two independent door operating mechanisms which aredesignated, respectively, and as entireties by the letters D and E andare each adapted to move the two door sections A. and B from open toclosed position or closed to open position.

The major door section A is of rectangular shape and includes parallelside frame members 10 and 11, upper and lower horizontal frame members12 and 13, respectively, and an intermediate horizontal frame member 14.These frame members of the door section may, of course, be constructedof metal or of wood and can be suitably joined by bolts, rivets or anyother suitable fastening devices which may be found desirable. Thespaces between the intermediate member 14 and the upper and lowerhorizontal frame members 12 and 13 are preferably, occupied by sheetmetal plates 15 and 16.

The minor door section B is, in construction, similar to the member A,including as it does, side frame members 17 and 18, upper and lowerhorizontal members 19 and 20, an intermediate horizontal frame member 21and the sheet metal plates 22 and 23. The frame members 11 and 17 of themajor and minor door sections A and B'may be equipped with sheet metalboxings 24.

The frame or casing C, in which the door sections A and B are hinged, ina manner to be hereinafter described, consists essentially in theuprights 25 and 26 and the upper and lower horizontal sills indicated at27 and 28, respectively. The uprights are arranged on opposite sides ofthe rails 29 and 30 and the lower sill 28 is arranged beneath the rails.This lower sill serves not only as a portion of the frame in which thedoors are mounted, but also takes the place of one of the cross ties.The sill 28, and consequently the entire door frame C, is arrangeddiagonally with respect to the track, the purpose in thus arranging thedoor frame being to so dispose the door sections A and B that they maybe moved into open position by being merely swung through an arc ofapproximately degrees, instead of an arcof 90 degrees as is usual inmost door constructions. These two doors A and B are mounted forswinging movement in the casing C by hinges which are similar inconstruction and it is deemed necessary, therefore, to describespecifically the hinging elements of only one of the doors, the

, member A being chosen in this instance.

From the lower terminal of the side frame member 10 of the major sectionA there depends ahinge rod 31 which is of such length that its lowerreduced terminal may be inserted in the laterally extending aperturedear 32 which is formed on a hinge plate 33. This latter member issubstantially U- shaped in conformation and braces the sill 28 so thatit may be secured thereto by spikes or similar fastening means. Theupper terminal of the member 10 carries a hinge rod 34 which is receivedwithin an apertured hinge plate 35. This member 35 is secured to theterminal of the upper horizontal beam 27 in a manner which will be moreclearly apparent upon reference to Fig. 1.

It is now to be noted that the door sections A and B are of such widththat their side frame members 11 and 17 overlap -as disclosedparticularly in Fig. 2 and that as indicated by the arrows in thisfigure, the two door sections are designed to swing in oppositedirections when being either opened or closed. It is obvious that, byoverlapping the free edge portions of the door sections, there is formedan effectual joint to prevent the passage of air between the doors. Itwill also be noted that, by mounting the door sections for swingingmovement in opposite directions, each may be completely opened by beingmerely moved through an arc of approximately 45 degrees. It will furtherbe noted, however, that the pressure of the air current, assuming thatit comes in the direction of the arrow marked air line in Fig. 1, wouldnormally tend to open the major door section A and close the doorsection B. lVhile it is, of course, true that the counterbalancescarried by the, door operating levers, to be hereinafter described,would normally overcome the air pressure and prevent the movement of thedoors, it is obvious that were the air blast particularly strong, therewould be a possibility of failure by the counterbalance and that, as aconsequence, the door sections might be opened, with a resultantdisaster through improper distribution of the ventilating air currentthrough the mine. In order, therefore, to counterbalance the airpressure on the oppositely openingdoor sections A and B, these twomembers are freely connected by a bar of the type designated in Fig. 3as an entiretyby the numeral 36. This bar is made in two sections 37 and38. Each section consists in two parallel spaced strips 39 and 40 whichare maintained in any desired spaced relation by spacer blocks 41.Bolts, indicated at 42, are employed in prep erly securingthe members 39and 40 to these blocks.

In connectingthe abutting members of the sections 3738, I preferablyemploy a coupling consisting of two plates 43 and 44, each of which isequipped at both its upper and lower edges with a pair of parallelspaced inwardly extending flanges 45. i The flanges are adapted toembrace the edges of the members 39 and 4-0 in the manner shownparticularly in Fig. 3. Then the plates 43 and 44 have been properlypositioned against oppositeedges of the two sections 37 and 3S, clampingbolts, indicated at 4.6, are passed through the two plates and throughthe space between the strips of the sections 37 and 38. The outerterminals of the two sections 37 and 38 are pivotally connected as bypins at? and 48 in Fig. 2 to the horizontally extending bracket arms 49and 50, which latter members are suitably secured to the side framemembers 10 and 18 of the major and minor sections A and B, respectively.

It willnow be understood, uponreference to Fig. 2 particularly, that themovement of the major door section A into open position will, throughthe connecting bar 36, cause the opening of the minor door section B. Itis equally apparent, however, that-the current of air tending to openthe member A is opposed by an equally forceful air. current tending tomove the doorB to closed position (which is in a direction opposite tothe opening movement of the section A). It will thus befobserved that bymeans of the bar 36, I have so connected in itself constitutes the forcenecessary for normally holding the doors in closed psition.

From the foregoing description of the connecting bar 36, it will benoted that the opening of either door section will cause the movement ofthe other door section into open position and that the same result willbe accomplished when either door section is moved from open to closedposition. It is of course desirable that it be possible to open the doorsections when approaching either side of the door and for this reason,there fore, I have provided the two operating mechanisms which have beenhereinbefore designated as entireties by the letters D and E. Themembers D and E are substantially identical in construction and it willbe necessary therefore to describe only one of them in detail. Beforetaking up the detailed description of the member D, which has beenchosen in this instance, however, it may be well to explain that the twomechanisms D and E are independent of one another so that the doors maybe operated by either mechanism and that they are positioned 011opposite sides of the track and opposite sides of the door sections.

' The member 1) includes an operating lever which is pivotally mountedon one of the ties 51 and is operatively connectedby a draw rod 52 to afixed arcuate bracket arm 53,- which as shown in Fig. 2 particularly, issecured to the door section B. The one terminal of the member 52 is, ofcourse, connected by a pivot pin 54 to the bracket arm 53, while theother terminal is bifurcated and embraces the handle 55 of the operatinglever, being pivotally connected thereto by a pin The operating leveritself includes, a socket 57 and an integral body plate 58, whichextends laterally therefrom. A base plate 59 is secured to the tie 51and pivotally supports the body plate 58. The body plate 58 is providedat each longitudinal edge with a plurality of laterally extendingapertured ears 60 and carries at each terminal a depending apertured earas indicated at 61 and 62. The base plate 59 is also equipped with ears63 similar to the member 60 and with upstanding terminal apertured ears64 and 65. It will be obvious, upon reference to Fig. 4E particularly,that the body plate 58 of the socket 57 may be quickly attached to thebase plate 59 by passing the hinge rod 66 through the ears 61-- 62 and64 and 65. Lateral and longitudinal strengthening ribs, indicated at 67and 68 may be provided for the base plate 59, if found desirable. Thelever handle 56, which is formed from'a bar of metal, is properly 7 isecured by the insertion of its lower terminal in the socket 57 A boltor similar fastening device may be passed through an aperture 69 formedin the socket for holding the handle against accidental withdrawal. Thehandle is offset at its upper portion and is thereat provided with aseries of spaced apertures through which may be inserted an attachingpin 70 employed in adjustably securing a counterbalance weight 71 to thehandle.

Interpolating briefly in regard to the weight 71, it will of course beunderstood that this member, when beyond a dead center at either side ofthe hinge rod 66, will act as a gravity detent for preventing themovement of the doors into either open or closed position, depending ofcourse upon the disposition of the doors.

In order that the draw rod 52 may be manipulated by foot as well as byhand, it has been found desirable, in practice, to secure to the bodyplate 58 a foot board 72. This member 72 may be held in any desiredposition by inserting bolts or similar fastening devices 73 through theboard and ears 60 of the body plate.

It will now be apparent that either operating mechanism D or E may bemanipulatedlm'anually or by foot pressure to either open or close thedoor according to the wishes of the operator. It will be furtherapparent that when the door sections are in open position, the twoweights of the members D and E will co-act to prevent the accidentalreturn of the doors to closed position and that these weights willco-act in the same manner when the door sections are in closed positionto prevent their movement in closed position.

i As has been hereinbefore explained, one of the important features ofmy invention is the provision of means for sealing the space between theupper edges of the door sections and the upper horizontal frame memberof the door casing. The means employed in this connection in theembodiment of the in vention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,includes a pair of sealing bars 74 and 7 5 and a pair of sealing strips76 and 77. On the outer face of the upper horizontal frame member 27 ofthe door casing, as shown in Fig.1, I secure, by spikes 78, a strip 79.At one end of this strip 79, and to the lower face thereof, is attachedthe sealing bar 74 which is held in place by spikes 80 or equivalentfastening devices. In Fig. 5, the minor door section B is illustrated inclosed position and it will therem be seen that the sealing bar 74L isoutwardly offset with respect to the door section B when this member isin closed position. The sealing strip 76, which is preferably formedofheavy canvas, but may be made of any other material which is founddesirable, extends entirely acrossthe upper edge of the door section. Band is so arranged that a arrow, will, tend to urge the free edgeportion of the sealing strip 76 against the sealing bar 74 with theresult that the space between the upper edge of the door section B andthe member 27 of the door casing will be sealed against the passage ofair. The sealing bar 75, which is employed in connection with the majordoor section A, is

secured by spikes 81 to the lower face of the frame member 27 and isarranged so that its forward edge overlaps the joint between the member7 9 and the member 27. Thus, the sealing bar 7 5 is laterally offsetwith respect to the sealing bar 74 and is oppositely arranged withrespect to the major door section A. It is necessary to arrange thesealing bar 7 5 so that it is offset interiorly from the side of thedoor exposed to the air current in order that the lower free edgeportion of the sealing strip 77 may be urged against the upper edge ofthe member A by the air current. Nails or equivalent fastening devicesmay be employed in securing the members 77 to the sealing bar 7 5.

It is now to be noted as a matter of primary importance that the sealingbars and sealing strip are so arranged that even though the doorsections, with which they are engageable, open in opposite directions,the air current through the manway will constitute the force necessaryfor normally holding the sealing strips in closed position with respectto the upper edges of the door sections.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of thisinvention, illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the abovedescription as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient andpractical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with theadoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desired toemphasize the fact that various minor changes in details ofconstruction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to,when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of thisinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new, is

1. The combination with a mine door, including a pair of door sectionsarranged to open and close in opposite directions and disposed when inclosed position to extend diagonally with respect to the track, meansoperably connecting the door sections whereby the movement of the onesection is communicated to the other, and independent operating meansconnected to each of the sections, each means being operable forsimultaneously opening or closing both door sections and including afixed bracket secured to the door section, a door rod pivoted to thebracket at its one terminal and an operating lever pivoted to the doorrod at its other terminal, said lever including a handle member wherebythe door rod may be manually actuated, and a foot board adapted whendepressed to operate the lever for moving the door sections into eitheropen or closed positions.

2. A mine door of the character described including a pair of doorsections, means operably connecting the door sections whereby themovement of one section will be communicated to the other section andoperating means connected to one of the sections for moving both thesections into either open or closed position, said means including adraw rod pivotally connected to therod sections and an operating leverpivotally connected to the draw rod, said operating lever including asocket, a body plate extending laterally thereof, terminally disposeddepending ears formed on the body plate, base plate, upstandingterminally disposed ears formed on the base plate, a

hinged rod passing through the elongated base plate and of the bodyplate for pivotally connecting the said plates, a handle memberremovably seated in the socket, said handle member being manuallyoperable and a foot board mounted on the body plate whereby the doorsections may be moved into open or closed positions by foot pressure. j3. A mine door of the character described including a pair ofdoorsections, means operably connecting the sections whereby themovement of the one will be communicated to the other, and an operatinglever connected to one of 'the'door sections, said lever including asocket, a body plate extending laterally therefrom, a handle removablyreceived by the socket, said handle'being manually operable, a baseplate, depending ears formed on the body plate, upstanding ears formedonthe base plate, a hinged rod passing through the body plate and baseplate for hingedly connecting said plates, and a foot board rigidlymounted on the body plate, said foot board being depressible by footpressure for either opening or closing the door sections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

NEWTON K. BOWMAN.

Witnesses A. KATHERINE KELL, BERTILLE KRAFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washingtoml). G

